Monday, June 20, 2011

I understand the need for continued brand recognition, but I'm not sure that Chasin' Tail BBQ was well enough known as a competition BBQ team to warrant branding their new restaurant with the mildly suggestive name. Spotting it along I-35, I noticed the 'BBQ' on the sign, but all my wife noticed at 70 mph was 'Chasin' Tail'. I made a verbal note to return on the drive back in a couple of days, and she wanted to know why I was planning a family strip club adventure on a Sunday.

I half expected to see at least a stage with a pole when I walked inside, but it looked much like it did when Doc was tending the pits. I quickly noticed the QCard sign, but the only way to take advantage of the deal was to order two plates. The wife wasn't interested, but I knew my daughter would gnaw on a rib so I went for two combo plates with brisket, ribs, turkey and pulled pork.

The pulled pork was wet, and I don't mean sauced. It was soggy like it had been sitting under a metal lid whose condensation was raining down with authority. The flavors were washed out and the meat had little smoke. This turkey had some oomph with a heavy rub that had some black pepper and cayenne. The meat was juicy, smoky and satisfying.

This joint bills itself as 'competition style' meaning for ribs you can expect a sweet glaze or sauce atop agressively flavored meat. All of flavors had a good balance between spice and sweet, and the ribs were well cooked, but it was just missing a good level of smokiness. Brisket had a bit more smoke with a decent crust. The meat was over-tender, but that meant the fat was nicely rendered. For competition style, this certainly needed more flavor which were provided with a dip in the excellent sauce. It wasn't a thick sauce and was thankfully not too sweet. A bit of kick was added with visible bits of cracked black pepper and a hint of cayenne. A splash of vinegar gave it balance that was perfect for dipping slices of brisket or the grilled Texas Toast.

Sides didn't seem homemade, but they all had a few extra touches after the cans were opened. Beans tasted like they had some of the sauce mixed in and the green beans had some extra zing. A pretty good banana pudding is also offered as a side. If you want to try all the meats and sides, they have an all you can eat offer for all menu items at just $18.49. Maybe next time I'll have to come alone so I can do some proper tail chasin'.

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DISCLAIMER:

Each joint is judged on the essence of Texas 'cue...sliced brisket and pork ribs. Sausage is only considered if house made. Sauce is good, but good meat needs no adornment to satisfy. Each review can only be based on specific cuts of meat on that particular day. Finally, if the place fries up catfish or serves a caesar salad, then chances are they aren't paying enough attention to the pits, so we mostly steered clear.

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GLOSSARY

Crust - Layer of black goodness around the edges of brisket or ribs that holds excellent flavor.

Meat Caramel - After gratuitous amounts of smoke are applied, and liquid rendered fat has come to the surface of the meat to mix with the applied rub, a chemical rendering takes place that creates a sweet sticky layer on the surface of the meat that clings to the tip of your finger when pulled away from the meat. This is affectionately known as meat snot.

Parboiled - A process in which ribs are boiled before being grilled or smoked. This is what makes meat fall off the bone, and it also leaves good, flavorful fat in the water. It's cheating.Rendered - The process of cooking fat until it literally melts into the meat. Cook it too fast and the fat is absent from the meat creating dryness. If it's not cooked long enough, the fat remains gelatinous and unsavory. There's no need to put well rendered fat aside.Roast-Beefy - Brisket that hasn't been bathed in smoke, but rather tastes as if it was thrown in an oven like any hunk of roast beef. It might be good food, but it's not BBQ.Sauced - Unsolicited BBQ sauce slathered over top of your meat, usually to add what was non-existent flavor in the meat.Smoke Line - Red line around the outside edge of sliced brisket just below the crust that signifies an adequate amount of time in the smoker.Sugar Cookie - Fat that turns to a slightly sweet and crispy flavorful nugget after copius amounts of smoke are applied.